Razorback Netters Fall to Oklahoma 4-3

BY ANDRES FOCIL

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 47 Arkansas lost the doubles point, but got off to a good start in singles before ultimately falling to #62 Oklahoma 4-3 at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center in Fayetteville.

The loss was the first for the Razorbacks (5-4) after previously winning four in a row. Sophomore Blake Strode won his singles match at No.1 over Andrei Daescu 6-2, 6-4. The victory improved 57th-ranked Strode to 14-4 on the year and 5-1 in dual matches.

At No.5, Dmitry Vlaskin won a hard-fought three set match over Sergey Avdeyev 6-4, 3-6, 3-4. Vlaskin won the match by default when the umpire halted the match due to repeated code violations by Avdeyev. The victory boosted the freshman’s record to 8-6 overall and 4-3 in dual matches.

Also notching a victory in three sets was fellow freshman and Moscow, Russia native Dmitry Lebedev. He hung on at No. 6 with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) win over Federico Chavarria for the Hogs’ third and final point.

Oklahoma claimed the doubles point by getting wins at No.1 and No.3. The tandem of Strode and Mascall was defeated by Chavarria and McKenzie 8-4 at No.1, and then Mattos and Nicoara fell at No.3 to Velicka and Avdeyev 8-4. The match at No.2 was suspended with the Sooners winning at 5-3.

Arkansas will have over a week off before traveling to Tulsa, Okla. next Saturday to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The match is slated to start at 4 p.m.